Reclaiming the heart
by Ice Is Nice
Summary: "My goldfish is dead, I've lost my job, I woke up to find creepy bowl-cut haired green spandex wearing neighbor doing push-ups in my apartment, had a gun shoved in my face and the man I love is marrying someone else, and who are you to call me self-" not letting me finish he puts his hands up in a mock surrender while smirking infuriatingly,"Calm down Mother Teresa and just listen"
1. How it all began

**Author note: Just a short prologue for a five to six multi-chapter (first person narrative) AU story that I have been planning to publish on FF-net for a while, full details will be uploaded along with the next chapter sometime next week but until then I give you a small taster/glimpse of what is to come. **

**Disclaimer: The events that take place in this story are purely fictitious while the characters and anything bearing resemblance to 'Naruto' belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. **

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**How it all began**

I guess there is no proper beginning to my story and as much as I would love to tell you all tales of my extraordinary life that would be far from the truth. I was born Hinata Hyuga, average, barely making it through life until I realised that I was completely running in the wrong direction—literally.

For most people January 28th 1993 is insignificant but for me on this day, exactly 19th years ago I met my future husband—Naruto Uzumaki, I am ashamed to admit it but this day used to mean more to me than my birthday.

So at the tender age of five when I walked into school on my very first day there was only one person who stood out in the playground—a blonde haired boy with cerulean blue eyes who had the friendliest smile and that is when I decided that one day I would marry him, of course I never did disclose my plans because being in the same room with my said future husband meant I would rather embarrassingly crash onto the floor and then wake up in the nurse's office a few hours later.

I suppose the greatest flaw to my plan was that I never spoke to Naruto, after all I was terribly shy and there are two things that all terribly shy girls have in common—one, they never get noticed and two, they always have a confident best friend.

Which means, that I don't even have to tell you who gets the guy, and as cliché as this all sounds believe me when I say that my life is far from a Hollywood movie.

If you're expecting a story where I, the deathly shy girl who has been unnoticed her entire life suddenly gets the guy of her dreams because of fancy clothes, great dollops of make-up and a gust of wind then you know where the exit button is.

This is my life with all the bitter sweetness as I, Hinata Hyuga make the greatest self-discovering journey to reclaiming my heart.


	2. Welcome to my life

******Author note: I have finally decided to take a plunge and publish an Islamic fiction after being inspired by Umm Zakkiyah and Naima B Roberts,********this story has been strongly inspired by 'Reclaiming the heart' by Yasmin Mogahed and will address many issues that she discusses within her book. If you would like to know more about Yasmin Mogahed just let me know and I will provide a link to her website either on the next chapter or on my Bio. **

******Disclaimer/Warning: This is an AU and I do not own any of the characters/settings/anything that you recognise. Also any indecent/offensive comments will be removed and reported.**

Welcome to my life

Hinata

Have you ever wondered why nothing in your life ever works out or why there are some people in this world who seem to get everything even though they clearly don't deserve it, while you are sitting at home feeling sorry for yourself?

Well if you have then you will know what I'm talking about and if not then welcome to how ninety percent of the human population live, So like the other eighty nine percent of the population I graduated from university with the full intention of pursuing my childhood dream in a 'believe it' like fashion but ended up as a starving artist living in a homeless shelter and that is when it hit me hard. I suppose when you're on the streets, not having eaten a good meal in over three weeks and with the media on your back labelling you 'heiress to homeless' does bring some sort of clarity to a person.

I realised too late in life that I had been fed far too many lies and silly stories, unfortunately as you all know life is not all about sunshine, daisies and rainbows with a pot of gold on the other side, I suppose there are some children who manage to realise all that phoniness early on in their lives but I was always a slow learner and I lived for happily ever after—in my world good would always triumph evil, the princess will always get the prince and if you're a decent person than good things will always happen to you. I was naïve, silly, childish or whatever you want to call it and I used to regret it every single day of my life.

But that is not where it all starts; although many people don't believe me being homeless didn't really change me much, I didn't become a confidant or even traumatised from the experience. Like many other horrible things that happened in my life I simply didn't think about it, but what I did take from being homeless was realising that I was wrong about everything in life, I was clueless—I felt like those gullible idiots who believed everything and that is what hurt the most.

I gave up art and turned to a far more stable job, hoping that I would never become penniless again and that was the start to the rest of my life—a monotonous routine of waking up, going to work and sleeping.

I became what I feared the most a workaholic with no life, and I guess it goes without saying right this minute I am at work and have been since five am in the morning—far too early for any sane human being but here I am, with coffee in hand, bloodshot eyes and feeling incredibly sorry for myself.

I know I shouldn't, after all I could just grow a backbone and stand up to my good for nothing boss, but things like that just don't happen to people like me.

I was born a doormat –I bet it is even written all over my face 'Hinata Hyuga: you're welcome to walk all over me."

A sigh emits from my lips, I am beyond exhausted and thinking about all of this is just going to make my head explode.

"Good morning Hinata," I look up from my computer screen, thoughts broken as Sakura Haruno waltzes through the thin glass double doors.

"Morning," I attempt a smile before returning to editing my column while Sakura prances over to my desk, pushing piles of documents to the side she sits on the desk while I try to control my irritation.

"Are you free tonight?"

_No_

"I don't know Sakura." I pause in my typing before turning to look at her, there is something different about her, and the sing-song tone in her voice is a dead giveaway. Then my tired eyes notice a sparkle in the direction of her right hand. Sakura follows my gaze and her lips spread into a wide smile as she thrusts her hand under my nose.

"I'm engaged!" She practically squeals while I try to put the pieces together.

_Sakura engaged? That means she is marry—_

"Naruto?" I ask while desperately hoping that my voice does not shake.

"Of course, he proposed last night at dinner." Sakura informs while sliding down from the table.

"Congratulations." I whisper while Sakura pulls me into an embrace.

_This can't be happening, this isn't possible, and I mean I knew they were dating but I always hoped—_

'_Hoped what?' A snide voice asks in the back of my mind_

'_That he would leave Sakura for you' I gasped at the realisation of the stupidity of my thoughts and suddenly I felt my head spin—it is finally over; the dream I dreamt every night as child has come to a crushing end. _

"Hinata are you ok?" I try to smile but how can I? She has just stolen everything and I'm so tired.

"I ne—" My throat constricted as I tried to breathe while I felt strangely dizzy, a sharp pain erupted in my chest and It was all too boringly familiar yet the pain didn't ease—just like it didn't when I found out Naruto had confessed his love to Sakura.

"Hinata!" Sakura's shrill voice pierced into my eardrum but I no longer cared, I just needed to leave and not even my devilish boss could stop me, before I knew it my fingers had grasped my bag and I was sprinting out of the office not noticing a few dozen eyes directed towards me while the pink haired employee of the month was chasing after me. I'm sure my behaviour might have raised a few eyebrows but this is all too much.

Not once in my life have things ever worked out for me and although I've passively accepted fate over the years this time I've had enough.

"Miss Hyuga?" A deep voice sliced through my thoughts and at first in my frenzy I thought it was Sakura trying to get my attention by using my last name, but as I look over my shoulder she is standing at the edge of the corridor looking slightly anxious along with the other employees who've all left their cubicles to stare at me.

The voice belonged to as you all might have guessed already—my boss, a large man with a thick moustache and love of all things sugar towered a good few inches over me. I sighed while waiting for him to continue.

"What an earth is going on?" I moved my gaze to his eyes, for a second an apology almost erupted from my lips but then all I could think about is those late nights, long hours and every time he took advantage over me without a single feeling of remorse or even appreciation.

"I quit." Those words flew from my lips and I didn't even feel a twinge of fear, fingers pressed the button to call the elevator as I waited to finally leave this hellhole.

My strength didn't last long though, in fact I melted as soon as I left the office and watched busy commuters rushing to get to their offices on time and just like that realisation hit me that I had done the thing I feared the most. My phone immediately started to ring and as I looked at the number I pressed the end call button. Even though I am once again jobless I had enough self-respect to not beg for it back five minutes later.

After all I had survived before and I would do so again—or so I hoped. Unlike most people I have lived all walks of life, I grew up eating caviar to chewing on cardboard just to ease my hunger and that is not an experience I wanted to live again but what is so great about my present life?

Working non-stop, watching so called best friend from high school marrying the love of my life and always doted on by everyone while people didn't even know that I was even in the same room. I took a deep breath before slowly massaging my pounding temple—when had my life become this cycle which I couldn't break away from?

Lost in my thoughts I didn't notice that I had been circling my office for the past half an hour, frustrated I decided to go to the bank. I had a few savings and that should last me about a year or so but more importantly the next steps to take is to re-evaluate my life starting with perhaps moving to another country, maybe somewhere in Europe? I always wanted to go.

Quickly crossing the busy roads of Manhattan I made my way to the nearest bank, slipping through the twin glass doors I gave a soft smile as eyes from the others slowly turned my way. I'm sure some of them recognised me from the papers but that is neither here nor there now, I am no longer the famed heiress for the global Hyuga enterprise having given up that mantle to my younger sister nearly a decade ago.

I don't regret it, never even thought twice about it. As soon as I signed the form to end all ties with the Hyuga I was out the door with only a small backpack to keep me company and I never looked back—not even once.

As I walked up to the counter a sharp sound erupted near me, a scream shortly followed and I spun around to see a masked man holding a gun walking towards the counter. He pushed me aside roughly and I crashed to the floor.

"Give me all the money." A thick voice said behind the thick cotton pullover mask and I gasped as my brain finally processed what is happening—a robbery!

"Quick," hissed the man in the mask while waving his pistol in the air, with frantic hustle and bustle the employers rushed to empty the counters. I tried to slowly inch away with fear and I had barely got ten centimetres away from the robber when my back hit something hard, the soft thud turned the robber's attention away from the counter and towards me. A jolt of fear gripped my stomach until a warm voice spoke from behind me.

"Let me help you up Miss." I turned around to come face to face with gentle looking man with sharp eyes and I couldn't put my finger on it but he seemed very familiar.

"She stays where she is," Snarled the robber as he eyed the other through the two rough holes in his mask. The man behind me didn't even reply as he pulled me up hastily while I continued to stare at him with an utterly bewildered expression. Was this man asking to get killed?

"Didn't I say—" The man pulled out a gun and a leather wallet.

"I'm with the Manhattan Police department and I'd suggest that you—" A shot rang through the air while screams once again erupted through the bank floor.

The man fell into the ground with such force I was sure that he is dead until he casually stood up but this time with a sour look gracing his once calm features and his breathing also became shallower as he stood up.

Through the large hole on his shirt I could see a flash of Velcro glinting against the dim lighting of the bank, he must have been wearing a bullet proof vest. I took a deep breath not noticing until now that I had been holding it.

"Hurry up." The robber's voice became harsher as he turned his attention back and forth between the bank employees and the cop.

"As I said I'm with the police and you're under arrest." The man charged at the robber and they both fell to the ground, the man who claimed to be with the police slammed his fist against the masked robber while the robber tried to fight back but it seemed of no use. The others in the bank rushed over to help the cop and being outnumbered the robber was finally slammed against the floor and handcuffed.

The cop immediately pulled out his phone and I barely started to calm down until I heard him speak.

"This is Itachi Uchiha and I need some men over—" The rest didn't register in my brain as recognition hit me hard.


End file.
